Meet Uttermost's Designers
About Carolyn Kinder
Carolyn Kinder has over two decades of experience in designing and developing innovative collections for the home furnishings industry. Carolyn has an established reputation within the home industry that has become synonymous with classic, timeless design. The industry recognized her achievement in January of 2000 when she became the first woman to receive the ART Academy of Achievement Award, which honors lifetime achievement in the accessories industry. Carolyn’s career started as an artist, teacher, and then founder of her first company, Kinder-Harris, which became an award-winning, multimillion dollar international accessory company. Carolyn became known as an industry leader in three important areas: strong, timeless design, the coordination of products from the separate fields of the accessory industry, and use of point-of-sale display units and materials to present a dramatic approach on the floor of the retailer. Carolyn eventually sold her interest in Kinder-Harris and in 1992, she began the development of Carolyn Kinder, Inc., a multi-faceted company which serves the home interior industry on a broader scale through a series of licensee companies, each a leader in its field. This new business continues to address the area of product development, but is also developing new marketing techniques for consumers by focusing on the many obstacles they face in providing a beautiful, functional, and comfortable home for their families. In 2002, Carolyn founded Carolyn Kinder International. With the formation of this company, Carolyn searched and acquired additional talented staff with a diversified skill set to implement her plan. This multi-dimensional company continues to focus on delivering award winning designs and creating interesting licensing partnerships, all complemented with the power of media. Carolyn Kinder and Uttermost have enjoyed a significant business partnership for over 10 years. The relationship began in wall décor, and has expanded in recent years into portable and fixed lighting. Carolyn’s unique style, passion, and vision for the future make her very special to Uttermost, and to the entire home décor industry. About Grace Feyock
Grace Feyock has designed home décor products for over three decades. Grace began her career as a fine art watercolorist, where she developed a unique and recognizable style. Using this and her other artistic talents, her artwork grew into a successful framed art business in 1982. As a former co-owner of Robert Grace, Inc., she was known for her prolific new designs introduced semi-annually. Grace produced thousands of original designs combining traditional looks with unique and complex mat treatments. In addition, Grace introduced the concept of unusual materials within artwork, such as leather, wood, and metals. Robert Grace enjoyed fast growth based on Grace’s product designs, ultimately selling most of the major home décor retailers in the U.S., as well as many international clients. Grace's designs, through Uttermost, can be found all over the world, and in many different forms. She designs art, mirrors, accent furniture, accessories, and lighting. Her work continues to be in high demand and specifically requested by the top retailers in the industry. Grace and Uttermost have enjoyed an exclusive business relationship for many years, and have experienced strong growth together. Grace does much of her design work overseas, teaching and educating the factories on new finishing techniques, new materials, and new construction methods. Her career success is built on her truly unique product designs that follow her own sense of style and flair. About Billy Moon
Billy Moon, an icon in the home furnishings industry, has been designing unique product for over twenty years. Billy first made a name for himself with the launch of the Moon Collection in the 80’s, a line of clay and metal accessories. Following his new product introduction, Billy opened his own exclusive factory in Mexico to produce his designs. As a result of his immediate success, Billy gained nationwide recognition and distribution in many of the top retail stores in the country. He received the ARTS award, the most prestigious home furnishings award in the industry, for three straight years in the early 1990’s. This is a feat that few companies or designers have ever achieved in the industry. Billy, a native Texan, has most recently moved his design operation and residence to China, under the company name MoonStyle. His focus under Moonstyle is the development and creation of the industry’s most creative and unique accessories, accent furniture, wall décor, and lighting products. His flair to match exotic materials with consumer tastes is unmatched, which creates high demand for his product. Billy’s creations are flavored by his significant travel around the world, as he integrates many of the natural resources and unique cultural elements into each of his items. Billy has a B.A. in Economics and an M.B.A in International Business from the University of Dallas. Uttermost is proud to be working with Billy Moon, and to manufacture and market his great designs.
About Francois Degueurce
Born and raised in France, Francois was in law school, and part of a student exchange program at the time he came to the USA for the first time. During that trip, Francois went to Louisiana to visit distant cousins and met Teresa. One year later, he decided to follow his heart, dropped out of law school and moved to Louisiana permanently. He and his wife have now been married for 27 years.
As a student, Francois had worked part time job for his mother in her antique furniture/interior design firm. Francois became very interested and even apprenticed in Dijon with a renowned antique furniture restorer. Building upon those skills, Francois soon had a thriving business in Shreveport, LA, selling and restoring antique furniture.
By 1986, this business had evolved into a company producing custom made furniture, mirrors and accessories distributed through designer showrooms. In 1996, Francois accepted a position with "John Richard Collection", and consecrated all of his time on designing rather than producing.
A self-taught designer, Francois worked for companies such as "Fine Art Lamps", "Kichler" (as senior designer), and "Corbett" (as VP of design). In 2002 Francois became a freelance designer with clients such as "Corbett", "Minka", " Savoy House", "Thomas lighting", "Stylicon", "Liberty Hardware", etc. in the Continental US, in addition to select Canadian and British clients. Since November 2006, Francois has designed exclusively for Uttermost. About Matthew Williams
Matthew Williams established his reputation as a premier home furnishings designer in 1998 at the age of 26 when he designed two lamps for Maitland-Smith that broke all the company’s previous records for lighting sales. These lamps are still in production today. They are the Balloon lamp and the renowned Maitland-Smith Monkey lamp. Since that time he has developed thousands of new products in nearly all categories related to home furnishings including accent furniture, accessories, wall décor, lighting, upholstery, bedroom and dining room furniture.
In 2001, at the age of 29, Matthew became the Vice President of Design for Maitland-Smith, considered by most at that time to be the industry’s leading company for the design and making of luxury accent furniture, lighting and accessories. Prior to becoming the company’s design leader he traveled and directed the global sourcing efforts for new, unique and exciting materials to use on the company’s newest and most innovative designs. During this time Matthew was also the head of the design and merchandising efforts for the lighting and accessory categories. Before entering the home furnishings industry Matthew worked as an industrial designer. His designs for Rubbermaid were featured in Business Week’s annual issue, “Best New Products of the Year” in 1995 and again in 1996. He also won Bronze and Silver international Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) related to those product designs. Matthew received his bachelor’s of Industrial Design at the North Carolina State University College of Design where he was awarded the Merit Award by the faculty for best overall achievement in the field of study. Today Matthew travels the world developing new items for your home. He is always looking for the next new thing and designing that special item that you will be proud to have in your home. For his designs he pushes the limits on form and composition achieving the most advanced look possible for today’s market. His designs often invoke a story, theme or a feeling that leads to a desire to own them.
Uttermost is pleased to have Matthew working on new products for our line. He brings a passion to design and making great things. He is responsible for extending our operation in the Far East into exciting new places and infusing fresh new designs into our existing vendor base. We look forward to a very long and successful relationship with Matthew. About David Frisch
David Frisch was born in Arizona in 1965. He attended the University of Arizona in Tucson and graduated from the College of Architecture in 1988. In 1992, with his future wife, Susan Frank, he formed Frank + Frisch, a multidisciplinary design consultancy in Los Angeles. Susan and David worked together on a wide variety of projects, including architectural commissions, interior designs, and custom furniture. Their work was widely published in the U.S. and internationally, and they received awards from ID magazine and inclusion in the 1994 International Design Yearbook. They also operated a metal fabrication shop, where they made many of the pieces they designed. Their experiences with the shop are summarized in the book they wrote in 1998 Metal: Design and Fabrication (Whitney Library of Design). This hands on experience with the process of making is evident in their design work, and is a hallmark of many American designers who emerged from the lively and highly experimental design scene in Los Angeles. From 1996 until 2000, Susan and David taught at the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.
In 2000, they formed Fresh Design Inc., which focuses on home decor products, with a specific emphasis on bringing contemporary design trends to the wider American market. David's goal is to translate new ideas and trends from fashion, architecture, and graphic design into objects that enrich our lives. |
